


Together

by MusingSkies



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School
Genre: Angst, Canon Setting, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, OT3, Takes place during Goodbye Hope's Peak Academy, They/Their pronouns for Chihiro, if you want to see it that way - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 04:34:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8953831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusingSkies/pseuds/MusingSkies
Summary: One moment it was a normal school day, the next Ishimaru and Mondo are fighting for their lives as they attempt to find Chihiro during the Reserve Course's attack on Hope's Peak. Amidst the chaos, the three struggle through trials both mentally and physically as they fight to stay alive.





	

The air had been tense ever since the so-called ‘parade’ began outside of Hope’s Peak Academy. Students were told not to leave campus, and only to proceed out of the vicinity if they were escorted by security. When asked what the parade was about, staff would only dance around the question and change the subject. Everyone seemed to be walking on eggshells, and if you were to ask Mondo Oowada how he felt about it all, his only reply would be, “…Shit’s annoying.” 

“Language, Kyoudai,” Ishimaru murmured beside him, his usual vigor gone. The hall monitor gazed out the window, his chin rested on his hand as Mondo sat at his desk, his feet kicked up on the table. He leaned back in his chair as he looked around Ishimaru towards the gates outside, where the reserve course students were gathered. From what he could see, their faces were twisted in rage and pain, and they seemed to chant something. 

“Well it is,” Mondo continued after a pause, “I can’t meet up with my gang ‘cause of it. Security won’t let me leave.” 

“Have you asked for an escort?” Ishimaru responded, eyes never leaving the window. 

“No,” Mondo snorted, “You really think they’d let me go if I told them I was going to meet up with a gang?” 

Ishimaru hummed softly, before finally turning towards Mondo, his brows knitted together in thought as he finally asked, “Parades are supposed to be fun, right?” 

“Supposed to be,” Mondo shrugged, “But that parade definitely isn’t.” 

“It’s not a parade,” A voice sounded beside them, and both turned to spot Celestia casually playing solitaire, a cup of tea sitting on her desk. 

“It’s…not?” Ishimaru hesitated, “But, the headmaster--!”

“Is a terrible liar,” Celestia raised her eyes towards him for a moment, before she settled back towards her game, “They all are.” 

“Then what is it?” Asahina poked her head into the conversation, having overheard while speaking to Sakura a couple desks over. The two were now staring at Celestia expectantly, along with Mondo and Ishimaru. Celes, however, did not answer right away and instead chose to take a sip of her tea, for dramatic effect, before she quietly set it down on the coaster. 

“It’s a riot,” Celestia responded ominously, the same time the classroom door suddenly swung open, which caused the class to jump in surprise. All eyes quickly looked towards the entrance, only to spot a winded Chihiro, backpack in hand. 

“Fujisaki-dono! What happened?” Yamada asked as Mondo went to stand, Ishimaru already beating him to it as he rushed over to help Chihiro over to their desk. 

“I-I’m fine,” Chihiro smiled faintly and gave Ishimaru a soft thank you before they settled down in their chair, “My alarm didn’t go off on time, is all. I was worried I was going to be late!” 

“Don’t worry, the teacher isn’t even here yet so you’re okay,” Naegi smiled as he placed a comforting hand on Chihiro’s shoulder.

“Leon, Junko and Mukuro aren’t here yet either,” Sayaka observed as she glanced around the room. 

“You do know that we aren’t required to be here, yes?” Togami pointed out, “So there was no reason to rush.” 

“Yes…well…,” Chihiro blushed, suddenly embarrassed for rushing. 

“Being on time is important, even when not required!” Ishimaru assured Chihiro as Mondo finally made his way over to the two. 

“Yeah, for once I agree with that,” Mondo nodded, before he hooked a thumb towards the window, “Especially with that going on.” 

“The parade is still happening?” Chihiro asked as they placed their backpack on the floor and unzipped it, digging inside. Before they could catch the programmer up on the latest news, however, Chihiro suddenly let out a groan before they threw their head back in exasperation. 

“What’s wrong?” Naegi asked from the desk behind the programmer as all watched as Chihiro stood from their chair and made their way towards the door.

“I forgot my USB! I’ve been working on this project for months and I’m finally getting close to the end. I was hoping to go to the library after class and finish it up,” Chihiro went to reach for the doorknob, before they hesitated, suddenly frazzled as they realized, “Ooh, now I’m really going to be late!” 

“Don’t worry Fujisaki! My new crystal ball predicts that you’ll make it back in time!” Hagakure proclaimed as he raised the ball up high. 

“Are you sure?” Chihiro asked uncertainly. 

“I am 30% positive!” Hagakure beamed, which caused the class to roll their eyes collectively. 

“Idiot…” Fukawa muttered, while Kirigiri told Chihiro, “It would be best to go now, before it’s too late.” 

Chihiro nodded, before they told everyone, “I’ll be right back! It should be in my locker.” 

They waved, before they ran out of the room before Ishimaru could tell them to ‘walk briskly’ instead. Ishimaru gave a slight huff and he turned back to the class who had continued their previous activities. Mondo smirked at the hall monitor’s irritation, before he ruffled Ishimaru’s hair. Ishimaru let out a small sound of protest and swatted his hand away but he gave a weak smile nonetheless. 

“You won’t give Chihiro detention for running in the halls if it’s to get to class on time, right?” Mondo asked as he raised a brow. 

Ishimaru gave a sigh before he shook his head, “No, I suppose not. A warning may be issued, but otherwise no.” 

The two went back to their previous spots, however before they could continue their discussion with Celestia, the door was swung open violently once more, only this time a wide-eyed Leon was the source. 

“Whoa, where’s the fire?” Mondo asked as he raised a brow. 

“Do not fret! You aren’t late for…class,” Ishimaru began to assure him, however his voice faltered towards the end when Leon quickly spun around and slammed the door behind him then locked it forcefully. 

“What are you doing?” Togami asked, annoyance laced in his tone. 

“The…The Reserve Course…” Leon panted, face pale as he finally turned towards his classmates, “They’re…killing people!” 

A chilling silence fell over the group as Leon’s words sunk in, before Mondo broke it with a growl, “Oi, you better not be shitting us right now.” 

“You think I’d joke about that?!” Leon snapped, “Look outside!” 

A pause, before the whole class practically moved as one as everybody rushed to the window, only to have some recoil in horror and shock. The so called ‘parade’ had escalated, quite literally, as reserve course students vaulted over the fences and struck down guards with makeshift weapons. However, once the guards were down, the students continued to pound on them, until it became clear that they were dead. 

“What the fuck…?” Mondo breathed, eyes wide, as he watched as the students began their rampage and made their way towards the entrance of Hope’s Peak. 

“T-They’re coming inside!” Asahina cried, before she backed away from the window in fright. 

“We gotta blockade the door!” Hagakure shouted as he rushed towards the nearest desk and pushed it towards the door. 

“Wait! What about Fujisaki?” Naegi quickly pointed out, “And Junko and Mukuro?” 

“I think Junko said something about having a photoshoot today,” Kirigiri informed him, “Mukuro most likely went with her so security could let them through. As for Fujisaki….” She trailed off as she left the others to fill in the rest. 

“I’m going to find them,” Mondo announced, before he made his way towards the door.

“Wait!” Ishimaru grabbed onto Mondo’s arm, which caused the other man to spin around.

“If you’re gonna try and tell me to stay here, then forget it,” Mondo growled. 

“No,” Ishimaru shook his head, “I was going to say that I’m coming with you.” 

“You’ll be safer here,” Mondo argued, as he attempted to pull his arm out of the hall monitor’s grasp, but Ishimaru only tightened his hold.

“And you’ll be safer with someone by your side,” Ishimaru frowned, his eyes full of determination. 

“Fine,” Mondo caved, “but only because we don’t have time to argue.” 

“Sakura-san,” Ishimaru quickly turned towards their female classmate, “Please protect the others while we are gone.” 

“Do not worry, no harm will be brought to anyone under my supervision,” Sakura nodded. 

“If we do not return in ten minutes…block the door,” Ishimaru concluded, which caused everyone to become tense at the thought. 

“…We’ll listen for you,” Naegi finally said as he refused to even consider the idea of losing them. 

Ishimaru nodded gravely, before the two dashed out into the hallway. For the most part the hall was empty, aside from the occasional student that ran in fright away from the entrance of the school. Ishimaru had to bite his tongue to stop himself from calling after the student for running, as he decided that this was an exception to the rule, especially as he considered the fact that he himself was running. 

Funny, how not even five minutes ago he was about to scold Chihiro for running in the halls, and now he and Mondo were sprinting through them. 

“Do you remember where Chihiro’s locker is at?” Mondo asked as they rounded another corner. 

“Third floor, west wing,” Ishimaru responded and directed Mondo to the nearest stairwell before Mondo suddenly grabbed tightly onto Ishimaru’s shoulder. He pulled Ishimaru back and forced them to a stop. 

“Kyoudai!” Ishimaru protested as he was lurched back, away from the stairs. Mondo slapped a hand over his mouth and pulled them both behind a stack of lockers to hide. Ishimaru tensed and listened as footsteps pounded up the stairs, followed by hoots and hollers from deranged students. There was a shriek, before a girl suddenly dashed into the hall, her eyes wild and full of fear. She plead as she ran and begged for her life until a knife suddenly whirled through the air and struck her in the back. 

She gasped, choked, before she collapsed onto the ground lifeless. 

Ishimaru felt his knees give out from beneath him, and he would have fallen then and there had Mondo not supported him. The biker wrapped an arm around Ishimaru’s torso and pressed his body against Mondo’s own before he whispered in Ishimaru’s ear, “Breathe, breathe.” 

Ishimaru breathed in through his nose sharply, unaware that he had stopped breathing in the first place, before he exhaled shakily as Mondo carefully removed his hand from his mouth. The two watched as a reserve course student walked towards the body, his movements languid and catlike, before bending down and yanking the knife out of the corpse. He chuckled, then licked the blade and continued down the hallway opposite of them. A couple more students flooded out of the stairwell, then followed after the boy before the rest continued up the steps to the next floor. 

The two waited a moment longer, before Mondo finally decided to let out a breath, and the two slowly sunk to the ground on their knees. 

“They killed her…Mondo, they killed her!” Ishimaru turned so he faced Mondo, his eyes wide and full of tears. 

“Yeah…yeah they did,” Mondo ran a hand over his face, wiping off sweat he didn’t realize had formed. 

“She—she wasn’t doing anything wrong! She was running!” Ishimaru managed, his breath quickening. 

“I know, calm down--.” 

“She wasn’t even fighting them! She was just running!”

“Ishimaru--!”

“And she’s dead! She’s dead, she’s--!” 

“Kiyotaka!” Mondo placed both hands on either side of Ishimaru’s face and forced the other to look at him, not the body in the hall, as he hoped to ground him. Ishimaru gasped shakily and tears fell freely down his face. The reality of the situation they were in had washed over him like a wave, and he struggled now not to drown. 

“Listen to me,” Mondo muttered lowly, as his eyes never left Ishimaru’s, “We’re getting out of this alive, ya hear me? You, me, Chihiro, and the rest of our class. No one is dying, not on my watch, got it?” 

Ishimaru sniffed, before he nodded and squeezed his eyes shut tightly before taking another breath. Finally, he nodded again and opened his eyes as resolve made its way in, though not without remorse. 

“I-I’m sorry. I…I just wasn’t…ready for such brutality,” Ishimaru managed and he wiped at his cheeks before he realized Mondo’s hands were still cupping his face. 

“Ah…Mondo?” Ishimaru gently nudged one of his hands, before Mondo grunted and released him. 

“Sorry,” Mondo mumbled and his cheeks took on a light shade of pink before he shook his head, “But you and me both. We gotta hurry and find Chihiro. Can you stand?” 

Ishimaru nodded, before he slowly got to his feet. Mondo followed suit before he carefully glanced around the corner again. He could hear the reserve students down the hall as they kicked down doors and searched for anyone from the academy, their laughter louder than the screams that followed. 

“Okay, let’s go,” Mondo started out from their hiding place and Ishimaru carefully followed behind. The two maneuvered around the dead girl and Ishimaru hesitated for a moment before quickly caught up to Mondo. 

The stairwell itself had gone quiet as the reserve students flooded the main floors. Mondo and Ishimaru had to dash past the second floor on their way up, but luckily the students there were too busy destroying what they could to notice the duo. The screams and pleas deafened their steps, so there was no way they could be heard as they made their way to the third floor. 

The third floor itself was oddly silent, broken only by the ruckus made downstairs and a screech further down the hall followed by the sound of shattering glass. The two carefully started inching their way into the hall and Ishimaru quietly motioned to Mondo that Chihiro’s locker was to the right at the end of the hall. Mondo nodded and he took the lead as the two crept towards the intersection. A quick hesitation, before Mondo peered down the hallway. 

He grimaced at the sight that greeted him. 

Smears of blood oozed on the walls and lockers, while broken glass covered the ground and caused it to shine. Three bodies laid dead on the ground, their blood still fresh. Luckily, none of them looked like Chihiro. Unluckily, a reserve student still lingered in the hallway. Their eyes darted around and their body twitched at the slightest of sounds. 

Mondo slowly pulled back into the previous hallway and turned towards Ishimaru. He held up a single finger to indicate they weren’t alone. Ishimaru paled, before he swallowed and whispered lowly, “Weapon?” 

Mondo furrowed his brow as he realized he hadn’t even looked, before he glanced back down the hall carefully and took a hesitant step forward. 

That had been a mistake. 

A loud crunch of broken glass sounded beneath Mondo’s foot and the two froze in hopes that they wouldn’t be detected, but it was too late. The student turned sharply towards the noise, and he spotted Mondo before he let out a laugh then charged at him. His weapon, Mondo finally saw, was a large shard of glass that was gripped in his bare hand, which oozed with blood as the glass cut into his skin. Mondo cursed before he got in a defensive stance and prepared for a fight, until a hand shoved him back. 

Mondo stumbled and watched as Ishimaru jumped between them. He swiftly stuck out his open palm which struck the student in the nose. He then grabbed onto the student’s wrist before they could stumble back and pressed down sharply on the base of his hand that held the glass. The student’s hand flew open at the pressure and the weapon crashed onto the floor. Ishimaru then jammed his knee into the student’s stomach and the student bent over in pain before Ishimaru struck him behind the neck, which rendered him unconscious. 

As the body slumped to the ground, Mondo couldn’t help but stare as Ishimaru brushed himself off; the latter muttered to himself about ruffians and violence. 

“Dude,” Mondo began, which caused Ishimaru to glance up at him, “the hell was that?” 

“Self-defense is important to know, Kyoudai,” Ishimaru stated, before he mumbled as he looked away, “and I’m not standing by to watch another person get hurt.” 

“Ishi…” Mondo started, taking a step towards the other as he noticed how Ishimaru trembled just slightly at the raw memory, and the sight of more bodies. 

“I-Ishimaru? M-Mondo?” A soft yet frightened voice sounded which caused the two males to pause and turn their heads sharply towards the noise. 

“Chihiro?” Mondo hesitated, before the two attempted to find the source of the voice. 

“In here!” A rattle of metal, before they caught sight of a locker shake slightly. Ishimaru and Mondo dashed towards the locker and both attempted to peer inside as they realized Chihiro was in the locker itself. 

“Are you alright?!” Ishimaru asked urgently while Mondo attempted to open the locker to no avail. 

“Yes! Yes, I’m fine!” Chihiro’s voice cracked with relief and unshed tears, “I heard screaming so I quickly hid inside my locker before those people made it up here. Unfortunately it locked behind me, so I got stuck. But you have to get out of here!” Chihiro’s voice suddenly turned urgent, “Those people…those people killed…!” Chihiro couldn’t finish their sentence as they began to weep as they recalled what they saw while hidden. 

“We know, but it’s okay. We’re going to get you out of here,” Ishimaru reassured them, before he traded places with Mondo to try and open the lock. 

“No, you have to leave now, before they come back!” Chihiro pleaded, “Or else…or else…!” 

“We’re not leaving without you,” Mondo growled, “We’re leaving together, got it?” 

“Mondo...!” Chihiro pressed a hand to the locker door, and they opened their mouth to protest before Mondo sharply cut them off.

“Tell Ishimaru your locker combination, I’ll watch his back,” Mondo commanded, before he turned away towards the open hall. His eyes surveyed the area while Ishimaru waited for the code, his hand on the dial. 

“O-Okay,” Chihiro swallowed, throat dry as they managed, “24....”

A scream echoed down the hall.

“…32…” 

A door adjacent to them rattled.

“…04!” 

Click.

The locker swung open as Chihiro tumbled out and collapsed into Ishimaru’s arms as their legs went limp underneath them. Ishimaru quickly grabbed them and pulled them into a tight hug as Chihiro sobbed. Their arms wrapped themselves behind his neck as they clung onto Ishimaru like a lifeline, refusing to let go. Ishimaru quickly began to murmur reassurances to them and he rubbed their back gently before he glanced up at Mondo, who had suddenly tensed. 

The biker nudged the two behind him as a reserve course student turned the opposite corner, metal pipe in hand. They paused when they caught sight of the trio, before a giggle passed through their lips. 

“Well, well, well…,” the student hummed, before they tapped the end of the pipe gently on the floor. The three remained silent, save for Chihiro’s shuddered gasps as they buried their face into Ishimaru’s chest and their body trembled like a leaf. Meanwhile, Ishimaru and Mondo stared down the new threat, gazes hardened into glares. 

The student grinned at their hostility, before they suddenly slammed their metal pipe against a near-by locker, which caused the metal to shake and bend piercingly. The trio flinched at the noise, much to the student’s delight, before they took a step forward. 

Mondo nudged the three of them back a step, before growling at the opposing threat, “Fuck off.” 

The student only grinned wider at Mondo’s words, before he struck the locker again with his pipe and the metal screeched as it bent further. A whimper escaped Chihiro’s lips, and Ishimaru tightened his hold on them before he commanded, “Leave us be!” 

The student only barked out a laugh before they mimcked, “Leave us be! Leave us be!” 

He struck the lockers again, and again continuously, until Mondo cursed and started to shove the two behind him, “Run, shit, run!” 

“Wha-?! What’s happening?” Ishimaru asked as the student pounded on the lockers with the metal pipe, his laughter shrill. 

“He’s calling the others!” Mondo gave one last shove before he grabbed onto Ishimaru’s hand and pulled the two of them along. Chihiro stumbled from the sudden pull until Ishimaru latched onto their hand and tugged them forward. 

The three sprinted down the hall back where Ishimaru and Mondo came from. The trio slid slightly on broken glass before they rounded the corner towards the stairwell, only to screech to a stop as they were confronted by a group of reserve students. 

“Shit!” Mondo jerked the three of them away from the stairs and Chihiro gasped at the force of the pull, as they dashed back into the hall, only this time going in the opposite direction that they came from. 

“W-What do we do?!” Chihiro gasped as they ran, while they attempted to ignore the pounding of feet behind them. 

“We have to get back downstairs! Or at least find a place to hide before--!” Ishimaru was cut off violently as a classroom door suddenly swung open next to Chihiro, revealing the student with the metal pipe. 

Ishimaru reacted first and pulled Chihiro out of the way as the student swung the pipe sharply, just barely missing Chihiro’s head. Unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for Ishimaru, who was struck across the face when the student swung back again. 

Chihiro let out a shriek as Ishimaru crumpled to the floor and his hands slipped out of theirs as he was knocked unconscious from the blow. Chihiro knelt down beside the hall monitor and shook him while they called his name in an attempt to wake him but to no avail. Mondo quickly turned and struck their attacker; he balled up a fist before he struck the reserve student in the nose with enough force to cause the student to fall backwards. 

“Bastard!” Mondo swore, before he kicked the student in the side sharply, then grabbed him by the collar and hit him in the face again. He faintly heard Chihiro gasp as Mondo punched him again, and again, until the student had been knocked out. He pulled back for another strike, seeing red, until someone grabbed into his arm, holding him back.

“M-Mondo! Stop!” Chihiro begged and attempted to hold Mondo’s arm in place, “He’s unconscious! Please, we don’t have time!” 

Mondo froze, before he was reminded of the situation they were in and quickly let go. He watched as the student’s body slumped to the ground, the student’s face bruised and bloody. 

“In here!” Chihiro started to pull him towards the classroom door, before they let go and ran over to Ishimaru’s side as they attempted to pull his body in the door as well. Mondo quickly snapped himself out of it, before he nudged Chihiro to the side and picked up Ishimaru bridal style, before he rushed them all into the now empty classroom. 

Chihiro slammed the door shut sharply and struggled with the lock before they finally put it into place while Mondo carefully laid Ishimaru down on the floor. He then ran over to the teacher’s desk before he pushed it in front of the door and barricaded it. Chihiro grabbed a chair and stacked it on top, while Mondo grabbed another desk and placed it next to the chair on the desk. They pushed a few more desks in front of the door, before finally they decided that was enough. 

The two panted in exhaustion as they listened for sounds of the reserve students outside. There were a few shouts, and a couple bangs on the door before it eventually went quiet on the other side as the students seemed to lose interest. 

“A-Are they gone?” Chihiro asked breathlessly and looked over at Mondo who stared uncertainly at the door, before finally he nodded. 

“Yeah…yeah I think so,” He ran a hand through his hair which messed up his pompadour before he cursed as he remembered, “Shit, Ishi!” 

He spun quickly towards the hall monitor before he slid to his knees beside him, and carefully adjusted his body before he rested Ishimaru’s head on his lap. Chihiro quickly joined him on the floor and grasped onto Ishimaru’s hand, their hold tight. 

Gingerly Mondo touched the area where Ishimaru had been struck and he spotted the bruise beginning to form near his temple. He cursed softly before he lowered his head. 

“Shit…,” Mondo muttered in defeat, “How’d we get ourselves into this mess?” 

Chihiro watched quietly as Mondo rested his forehead against Ishimaru’s, their grip on Ishimaru’s hand tightening before they whispered softly, “I’m sorry…this is my fault.” 

There was silence for a moment, before they watched as Mondo heaved a heavy sigh. He sat up slightly and gave them a weak smile, “Kid, the only way this is your fault is if you caused this whole mess to happen in the first place.” 

“B-but if I hadn’t forgotten anything--!” Chihiro protested, but Mondo only shook his head. 

“It was just a shitty coincidence,” Mondo muttered, before he looked back down at Ishimaru and closed his eyes. 

There was a pause, aside from a soft rumble that slightly shook the building, which caused the two to tense before settling down once the rumble faded. Chihiro gently rubbed their thumb on the back of Ishimaru’s hand, eyes lowered.

Finally Chihiro broke the silence with a gentle, “Mondo?”

Mondo gave a grunt to let Chihiro know he was listening before Chihiro continued, “How…How are you so strong?” 

Chihiro watched as Mondo froze, his hands that had rested on Ishimaru’s shoulders slowly curling into fists. The silence that followed this time was almost unbearable, to the point where Chihiro was about to apologize for asking until Mondo mumbled, “I’m not.” 

“W-What do you mean?” Chihiro asked, “Out of the three of us you were able to keep a level head.”

“It’s ‘cause it wasn’t the first time I’ve seen someone murdered,” Mondo muttered, voice cracking slightly at the end. 

Chihiro’s eyes widened, before they softened in pity, “Mondo--.”

“Stop,” Mondo cut them off, “Just…stop. I murdered him, and that’s it. There’s no argument to be had about it. It was all because of my stupid ego and my stupid ideas and that stupid truck--!” 

A small hand rested itself on Mondo’s cheek, and Mondo looked up to see Chihiro leaning towards him as they gently rubbed their thumb across his cheek to wipe away stray tears that began falling silently. 

Mondo trembled slightly, before he slowly put his hand over Chihiro’s and closed his eyes as he leaned into their touch. 

“…Fuck,” He breathed, voice shaking, “What’d I do to deserve you guys?” 

“You’re…a good person, Kyoudai.” 

Both Chihiro and Mondo looked down sharply towards the source of the voice to see Ishimaru’s lips form a weak smile. His eyes opened slowly, before they winced shut again as his head began to pound sharply. 

“Ishimaru!” Chihiro gasped in relief, while Mondo released their hand so Chihiro could give Ishimaru a tight hug. Mondo let out a relieved laugh, before he ran a hand through Ishimaru’s hair and ruffled it gently. Ishimaru playfully swatted his hand away, before he used his other arm to wrap around Chihiro’s torso. 

He made a move to sit up, and Mondo quickly helped him as he placed a hand on his back to support him while Chihiro clung to him tightly. 

“How you feeling?” Mondo asked and he watched as Ishimaru touched the side of his bruised face and winced at the contact. 

“I’ve definitely been better,” Ishimaru managed, “A little dizzy.” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you got a concussion,” Mondo observed, which made Chihiro suddenly tighten their hold on Ishimaru.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Chihiro cried.

“Hey, what’d I say about blaming yourself for shit?” Mondo chided, “Quit saying sorry.” 

“I’m sor--!” Chihiro quickly shut their mouth before they could say it impulsively. Mondo gave a small smile, before Ishimaru’s hand suddenly placed itself on his shoulder. 

“I meant what I said, Mondo,” Ishimaru said, becoming serious as his eyes focused onto Mondo’s. Mondo sighed and ran a hand through his hair before he glanced off to the side. 

“You guys are the only ones who know about it and yet you still hang out with me. Why?” Mondo seemed to deflate slightly, any fight left in him fading. 

“It’s because we care about you, Mondo,” Chihiro had sat up now to join into the conversation and placed a hand on Mondo’s knee while their other hand rested on top of Ishimaru’s that was in his lap. 

“What happened that day was a tragedy, but you don’t deserve to suffer everyday afterwards because of it,” Ishimaru affirmed, “And know what happened doesn’t change our view of you at all.” 

“…At all?” Mondo couldn’t help but be skeptical about that one. 

“At all,” Chihiro and Ishimaru both stated firmly at the same time. 

Mondo was taken aback at their simultaneous response, to the point where he couldn’t help but chuckle softly before he pulled them both into a tight hug and wrapped his arms around the two of them. 

“Shit, you guys are incredible,” Mondo murmured and felt their arms wrap around him in return. 

The three remained like that for a while, locked in each other’s embrace as they forced away all the horrors that were just outside their door. Even when shadows passed over the classroom windows, as bodies fell like rain onto the concrete below; Mondo only lowered their heads so their foreheads were pressed together and all they could see was each other. 

Eventually, all that was left was silence, broken only by the occasional shuttering breath as their minds failed to repress every wicked thought. Luckily, they were not alone, and that was enough to settle their wildly beating hearts. 

A loud pounding on the door shook the trio out of their peace and all three looked towards the noise in fear. Mondo stood first, slowly, before Ishimaru followed suit. Chihiro quietly stood last, hand finding Mondo’s and lacing their fingers together. 

The pounding happened again for a second time, with enough force to knock down some of the chairs and desks they had stacked on top of one another which caused a loud crash. 

The three couldn’t help but jump at the loud noise, and fear crept into their hearts until a familiar voice called, “Mondo? Ishimaru? Chihiro?” 

“Naegi?!” The trio called, flabbergasted, before Mondo released Chihiro’s hand and started to push away their barricade. Ishimaru moved in to help, though stumbled slightly as his head seemed to swim. Chihiro grabbed onto his arm to steady him and Ishimaru mumbled a soft thank you in response before the two watched as Mondo kicked the desks sharply out of the way. 

He messed with the lock, before he swung the door open to reveal Asahina and Naegi. 

“You’re all okay!” Asahina cheered as she spotted three of them, before she gasped, “Oh, Ishimaru! Your face!” 

“It’s fine,” Ishimaru reassured her, “How are the others?” 

“It was terrible,” Asahina shook her head, “People kept pounding on the doors, shouting awful things. But Sakura was able to keep the door shut tight. Everyone is safe!” 

The trio let out a breath of relief, before Naegi told them, “It’s not safe outside anymore, however.” 

“W-What do you mean?” Chihiro asked hesitantly. 

“Whatever happened today at Hope’s Peak, is happening in the city too,” Naegi informed them, “The headmaster came to us after the attackers…left…and wanted to talk to us about staying here as a refuge.” 

“Refuge…,” Mondo muttered and his head felt like it was spinning with all this new information. One second he was happy to hear everyone was alive, the next he was in disbelief. He was sure he wasn’t the only one who felt this way. 

“We told him we weren’t going to decide without everyone here! So Naegi and I went to go find you three,” Asahina explained, “When I pounded on the door and felt resistance, I knew there had to be someone alive in there!” 

She expected a better response than weak smiles from the three, though didn’t blame them for their lack of enthusiasm. She couldn’t imagine what they had been through, only to hear that it wasn’t over. Not in the long run. 

“Come on, everyone’s waiting,” Asahina finally said gently, holding out a hand to the three of them. 

“They’ll be happy to see you,” Naegi smiled, before the trio finally moved towards them and followed them to their class. 

The rest of the day was a blur for the trio. From talking to the headmaster individually to putting up metal plates on the windows and doors of the facility. They were quiet, compared to their usual vigor, and when night finally fell, everyone went to their designated dorm rooms without many words spoken. 

It was around midnight when Mondo heard a knock on his bedroom door. He had been lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling as he failed to fall asleep. His head was a jumbled mess, and he couldn’t shake off the events of that day. When he heard the knock, he was hesitant to answer at first as the day seemed to replay in his mind, before he reminded himself, ‘It’s fine. We’re safe here. Relax.’ 

Slowly he rolled out of bed, bare feet padding gently on the ground before he opened the door a crack, which let in light from the hallway and caused him to squint. He barely made out Chihiro and Ishimaru standing at his door, until he opened the door all the way so that he could see them completely. 

“Ah, apologies, Kyoudai,” Ishimaru spoke, “Were you asleep?” 

“Nah,” Mondo shook his head, “What’s up?” 

“Well, you see, Chihiro here came to me because they couldn’t sleep--.”

“No,” Chihiro cut him off gently, though their tone was a bit accusatory, “That’s not what happened. I kept seeing shadows pass by my door, and when I looked to see what it was I realized it was Ishimaru pacing the hallways.” 

“I was making sure everyone was in bed and following curfew!” Ishimaru responded, huffing slightly. 

“Don’t you have a concussion?” Mondo asked and leaned against the door frame before he raised a brow. 

“Yes!” Chihiro responded for him, while Ishimaru’s face flushed, “He should be in bed, asleep!” 

“You both should be in bed asleep,” Mondo pointed out which caused Chihiro to deflate slightly. 

“I…can’t sleep,” They murmured and rubbed their arm subconsciously. 

“Me neither,” Mondo sighed. 

“My mind keeps going back to what happened today. Every time I close my eyes--!” Chihiro couldn’t finish the thought and shook their head before they looked down. Mondo glanced over at Ishimaru and guessed from the pained expression on his face that the same was happening to him. 

“I guess we’re all on the same boat then,” Mondo muttered. 

Ishimaru opened his mouth to say something, closed it in reconsideration, and then opened it again as he finally admitted, “I…don’t want to be alone. Not right now.” 

Mondo was surprised at Ishimaru’s admittance; usually the hall monitor would put on a brave face for others if he could. But what had happened today shook them all to their cores, and the biker wouldn’t be surprised if they became different people because of it. 

“…Can’t be helped then,” Mondo opened the door wider, before he stepped to the side to let Ishimaru and Chihiro inside his room. 

“Are you sure? We can leave if you want some peace,” Chihiro told him, hesitant to come in. 

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Mondo nodded, “I think knowing you two are close will help me sleep better.” 

Ishimaru and Chihiro stared at him, blinking in surprise which caused Mondo’s face to flush crimson. 

“W-What?” He said defensively. 

Chihiro chuckled while Ishimaru smiled his first real smile that day, before the two finally entered his room and made their way towards his bed. Mondo closed the door, before he locked it and climbed onto his bed. He patted the spots beside him as he invited the two to lay down. Chihiro carefully climbed on while Ishimaru hesitated as he second guessed himself until the other two gently tugged him onto the mattress. 

Mondo tossed the covers over them, before the three settled in together. Chihiro curled into Mondo’s side almost immediately, their forehead pressed against him as he wrapped an arm around their small frame. Meanwhile, Ishimaru laid off to the side near the edge, still a bit uncertain about sharing a bed with others. However when he finally dozed off, he rolled over and unconsciously threw his arm over Mondo’s torso, before he rested his head in the crook of Mondo’s neck. Mondo, meanwhile, pulled the two of them in close, before he closed his eyes and listened to the sound of their steady breathing. 

They had made it. They were alive.

**Author's Note:**

> This took a while to write, but I'm pleased with how it turned out! Thank you for reading! As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!


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